Here is the small by mighty executive leadership at the Chancellor’s Office.
Swearing in our new board member Lilian Coral –
I love this photo of senior leadership that was snapped right before the BOG meeting – Chris Ferguson, Rowena Tomaneng, and Kathy Lynch.
The team that works hard and plays hard!
A fun photo snapped by Jennifer Perry on our walk to Mulvaney’s:
Then it was off to Denver for Achieving the Dream’s K-College Institute: Strengthening Pathways Through Dual Enrollment.
What fun reconnecting with Karen Stout at ATD
And the song of the week…..
My Uber driver was playing this song during my ride, and it has been in my head. Check out This Love by Maroon 5.
Now back home to Neo morning walks. Check out this happy boy… 17-second video:
Good morning California. It is July 26, 2025. A good day to be a Community College Champion
From California Community Colleges. Our Time is Now!
Lake Tahoe Community College Celebrates Successful First Mentorship Program
Lake Tahoe Community College’s inaugural Classified Staff and Director Mentorship Program wrapped up last month with outstanding results. The six-month pilot program paired new employees with experienced mentors for monthly group sessions and one-on-one meetings focused on professional development and campus culture.
San Diego Miramar College Foundation Receives $50,000 Grant from San Diego Foundation to Advance Health Equity for AANHPI Students
The San Diego Foundation has awarded a $50,000 grant to the San Diego Miramar College Foundation to support a groundbreaking initiative aimed at improving mental health outcomes for Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander (AANHPI) students at San Diego Miramar College. The grant will fund the “Mental Health Equity for AANHPI Students” project, a comprehensive, culturally responsive program designed to destigmatize mental health care and expand access to critical services for AANHPI students.
Four Laureates Selected for Inaugural Cuesta College Music Conservatory Award
Cuesta College has long served as a bright light for music education on the Central Coast. Through a generous gift from Carol and Eric Olsen, Cuesta College builds on that tradition with the launch of the Cuesta College Music Conservatory, a premier program to support a select group of advanced music students.
These students will perform in ensembles, engage with the community, and focus intensively on musicianship and artistic growth. Each student receives $8,000 annually to support their education, participates in mentorship meetings, and contributes to the campus and greater community through music-related service.
KCRA: 78-year-old defies the odds, becomes oldest police rookie in California history
The 78-year-old recently attempted a feat that most people half his age wouldn’t dare try. Myers, who was 77 at the time, decided to enlist in the police academy.
“This is the last chance I have to do something like this, period,” Myers said. “I may be too old to do it. I’m certainly close to too old, so I have to do it now or never.”
Last year, Myers enrolled in the POST Academy to become a peace officer. He felt like it was a calling he’d had since he was a boy.
Adult School Stories: A 70-year-old retiree finds satisfaction in her GED studies
Maria Bernarda De Leon always wanted get an education, but growing up in a low-income family in Honduras, it wasn’t an option.
Now 70-years-old and retired, De Leon is finally acting on her long-time wish by taking classes at Allan Hancock College (AHC), a community college that serves the Santa Barbara region. The school offers students a wide variety of free and low-cost classes, including adult basic education, high school diploma equivalency and even income tax preparation.
SDCCE & SDCCD proudly marched in the Pride Parade, wearing our “Unbreakable Pride, Unshakeable Power” shirts—designed by talented Digital Media student Jessi Noreault! It was a joyful day of unity and celebration.
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From Woodland Community College:
Eagles Welcome Day at Lake County Campus was a huge success! Thank you to everyone who showed and made it a day full of energy, connection, and Eagle Pride
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From Ohlone College:
Our Summerfest Production was a major hit! Cheers to our students who starred in our Once Upon a Mattress Musical.
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From Moorpark College President Dr. Julius Sokenu:
Proud to join the College/Career Readiness STEM Pilot Program at #OxnardCollege, funded by a federal grant to advance participation in #STEM careers for low income & underserved students, facilitated by Dr. Klein Williams of OC, Dr Gonzalez, Pres. of OC & Dr. Anderson, VPAA at VC
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And check out this video celebrating Madera Community College’s 5th anniversary:
And From the Home of the Renegades
Kern Transit Offering Free Rides for BC Students
Kern Transit has announced that it is resuming the Free Rides for Students program, which provides no-cost bus rides for students in elementary school, middle school, high school, and college. Students can catch a ride on any Kern Transit bus and be transported to any Kern Transit stop! The program is effective as of July 1, 2025, and will continue through June 30, 2026. Each student will just need to show a valid student ID to the driver at each boarding. The program also includes Dial-A-Ride Services throughout Kern County.
What were you up to this past week? Drop me a comment with your story while I tell you about my week.
I enjoyed a white Christmas with my daughter.
Growing up in Kerala, India, Bing Crosby’s I’m Dreaming of a White Christmas was an all-time favorite. At that time, I imagined snow to have a cotton-like soft texture even though I had sufficient experience by then to know it was frozen water. I first saw snow when I came to the United States as a foreign graduate student and my brother Roy took me for a drive to Reno. You know how some memories get etched deeply in your mind ….. Well that first snow experience was one of them.
I attended the morning Christmas service at St. Peter’s catholic church. The sermon was about how we could and should systematically keep hope alive. So here’s to 2025 filled with joy and hope!
Later in the day, we took a drive by Lake Ontario and stopped at Humber Bay. Check it out.
Back at the house, we lounged on the couch by the fireplace and the cutest Christmas tree and binge-watched the new Matlock show starring Kathy Bates as Matlock.
Roger Ebert closes out his review of the show with this:
This earnestness, combined with Bates’ performance and the show’s strong and consistent use of humor, makes for a good watch. “Matlock” isn’t exactly throwback TV, but it delivers on the comfort food of solving at least one complex problem in forty-two minutes. That it’s funny and heartfelt along the way just adds to the charm, particularly as the suspense mounts. Toying with our expectations of a recognizable persona like Matlock, CBS’s newest legal drama honors the original while creating something new entirely.
And now back home with Neo
A few more holiday greetings from our California Community Colleges –
Citrus College:
Sierra College:
Good morning California. It is December 28, 2024. A good day to be a Community College Champion
Over the last several weeks I have been featuring blogs from the past starting in 2013….. today I wrap up the “throwback series” by highlighting blog posts from 2021-2024.
2021
March 13, 2021: An evening to remember. Sterling Silver 2021.
Last Saturday’s Sterling Silver broadcast on KGET/Channel 17 was an amazing celebration of our outstanding philanthropists. I hope you were able to tune in and watch as the BC Foundation honored Margaret “Peggy” Haight, Patricia Mettler, Greg & Mary Bynum, and Becki Whitson.
The projects proposed will include expanding the college’s Rural Health Equity and Learning collaborative, the Certified Nursing Assistant and Registered Nurse programs, and the allied health programs such as the new Physical Therapy Assistant program, while also providing funding for new post-pandemic student health and wellness services, and new certification programs, such as the Mental Health Worker Certificate.
September 26, 2021: Join us in imagining and making it so
On Tuesday, September 21, 2021, Bakersfield College’s Early College Program announced a new Early College option to McFarland High School freshman to earn a bachelor’s degree in Industrial Automation in five years! This year’s class of 232 incoming ninth grade students will be able to start on a pathway toward a bachelor of science degree that begins their freshman year and is completed one year after they graduate from high school. Really appreciate the leadership of Superintendent Aaron Resendez and Trustee Romeo Agbalog.
November 6, 2021: KCCD paying attention – to a moment, to an idea, to a feeling
On Wednesday, the PC Writer & Poet Speaker Series continued with a virtual event featuring Clint Smith.
Clint Smith is a staff writer at The Atlantic. He is the author of the narrative nonfiction book, How the Word Is Passed: A Reckoning With the History of Slavery Across America, which was a #1 New York Times Bestseller, and the poetry collection Counting Descent, which won the 2017 Literary Award for Best Poetry Book from the Black Caucus of the American Library Association and was a finalist for an NAACP Image Award.
January 29, 2022: KCCD Colleges settling into the Spring Semester
On Wednesday of this week, I was so inspired by the conversation led by the California Community Colleges Women’s Caucus, and California Competes, in a panel discussion about “student parents” in community colleges.
Dr. Su Jin Jez from California Competes shared their findings on how to best help our student parents reach their educational goals.
One message that in particular stood out for me was when Su Jin advocated for “enabling more pathways that are accessible, cost effective and portable.”
April 30, 2022: Kern CCD – No shortage of worthwhile work to be done
On, Friday, April 22nd, the Porterville College Foundation held its 53RD ANNUAL SCHOLARSHIP & AWARDS CEREMONY.
The annual scholarship ceremony is a mainstay event that has long offered a personal touch that students, donors, faculty, and staff have come to look forward to each year. We were pleased that this year’s event marked the return to an in-person format – with the ceremony being held inside the Porterville College Gym.
It was an exciting week at the Kern Community College District as we welcomed some very special visitors. Tara Lynn Gray, Director of the California Office of Small Business Advocate, and the California Energy Commissioners Siva Gunda and Patty Monahan. I will add photos of the CEC visit in my next week’s blog.
Really enjoyed my visit with Director Gray who was warm and committed to entrepreneurship as being the equity solution to economic development for rural communities. And what a treat to see Linda Quinones-Vaughn after so many years. Nicole Parra and I had a delightful visit with these two wonderful women.
Last weekend, I traveled to UCLA to speak as a panelist at the California Learning Lab Inspire Convening. The incredible Lande Ajose was our moderator, and I joined Michael Drake, John Perez and Romey Sabalius to discuss “who’s really in charge in higher education.” We talked about the stakeholders and governance structure involved in higher education, and what roadblocks faculty and administrators sometimes face in advancing innovation.
January 21, 2023: Kern CCD – Together we can meet our many needs
Started my week joining a group from Kern CCD at the MLK Community Awards Breakfast Celebration to honor the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
March 25, 2023: Moments that take our breath away – March 2023
It was my great pleasure to bring together student athletes, coaches and faculty from across the county for a conference recognizing the 50th anniversary of Title IX, the landmark legislation that established equal rights for women in education and athletics. Kern CCD’s celebration of Title IX was an inspiring, joyful day of recognizing how far women have come in sports and higher education.
As summer comes to a close, I’ve had a very busy week traveling to several of our community colleges.
On Tuesday, I attended the groundbreaking ceremony for student housing at Lake Tahoe Community College. It was inspirational to see so many people come out to support this fantastic project.
Thank you to Pam Haynes for joining from the Board of Governors, LTCC President Jeff DeFranco, the LTCC Board of Trustees, Senator Marie Alvarado-Gil, Chris Ferguson & the CA Department of Finance team, and everyone who was present and who has made this possible.
It was a week of travel for me… headed north to Fresno City College with the Undocumented Student Action Week, then south to College of the Canyons where Chancellor Dianne Van Hook hosted a wonderful event on Vision 2030 and I was inspired by the forward leaning work of the college… then to my office in Sacramento for Consultation Council… then back to Fresno Convention Center for the annual CVHEC summit. Wrapped up Friday night watching episodes of Stephen Colbert and John Oliver. The John Oliver piece was on safety of our foods and after watching it I think when travelling I will stay away from salads and other fresh produce which we eat fresh and without cooking.
February 17, 2024: CA CCs taking care of our planet
On Monday I was at a climate summit hosted by Second Nature and was on a panel with Chancellor Millie Garcia, CSU, and Executive Vice President Nathan Brostrom, UC. The panel was moderated by Lande Ajose, who is now with Waverley foundation.
I started my week at Oracle Park, at the Giants-Dodgers game dedicated to California Community Colleges. CCCCO Vice Chancellor for Communications Paul Feist planned this event as part of the ICan campaign. It was so much fun!
We had Malia Venegas, San Jose City College student athlete throw the first pitch. Venegas is a 4.0 student and a softball team standout player who is transferring to San Jose State University.
This past week, I attended the Women’s Equality Day event hosted by the League of Women Voters, the American Association of University Women and Delta Kappa Gamma in Kern County. Thank you Janet Tarjan for all of your efforts in making this happen.
Board of Governors President Amy Costa keynoted the event. Her speech was inspirational and brought in her personal experience while quoting stats on the disparities that still exist.
October 5, 2024: California Community Colleges highlighting Noncredit Programs
This week, I was in Anaheim for the Vision 2030: Noncredit Summit, hosted by North Orange Continuing Education.
Thank you President Valentina Purtel who put together an incredible two days of engaging conversations. From data to policy and practice. The speakers were were exceptional and the camaraderie in the room was palpable.
We had 40 of the 72 districts represented in a sold-out auditorium. If you missed this year’s event, plz mark your calendar and plan to attend in October 2025 in San Diego.
The California Community Colleges are wrapping up Fall 2024 and gearing up for the holiday season. Let’s check out a few Holiday Greetings from our colleges ….
Palo Verde College:
From Antelope Valley College:
From Lemoore College:
From Coalinga College:
From College of the Canyons:
Good morning California. It is December 14, 2024. A good day to be a Community College Champion
Can’t believe that I have been blogging for 11 years…. started in 2013. As we close out the year, I will do the year in review over the next three blog posts. This week, let’s look at the posts from 2013-2016.
2013
April 20, 2013: Centennial Year Celebration. Planting of the California Oak
Today, April 20, 2013, the campus was alive with the annual Garden festival. This event is always a highlight of the year for campus and community, with food, performances, booths with information and a wide range of plants and garden goods for sale. This year’s Garden festival was a special one marking the start of BC’s year of activities commemorating the college’s 100th year.
You may have thought the world of curriculum stopped spinning in the summer but our BC Curriculum Team attended a three-day intense Curriculum Institute last week.
Sharon Bush, BC’s curriculum specialist, pointed out that, ‘The Curriculum Institute is a great forum to discuss hot topics that are at the forefront in the ever-changing world of curriculum. State resources include information about the Bakersfield College student success scorecard to the wage tracker, which shows a students salary before and after completing a program at Bakersfield College’.
The Community College League of California came to Bakersfield College to hold a small meeting regarding how to properly work with elected officials and communicate the needs of community colleges.Thank you Michele Bresso for making this happen.
Invited were trustees, presidents/chancellors, and governmental relations staff. We were a small, but robust group in the Fireside Room at Bakersfield College as CCLC staffers and our very own Amber Chiang talked about the dos and don’ts of working with Sacramento.
November 30, 2013: BC Featured: Collier Talks Health Care Needs with Assembly Committee
Bakersfield College made its presence felt at the recent California Assembly Select Committee on Workforce and Vocational Development, an event facilitated by 32nd district Assemblyman Rudy Salas in Bakersfield. The hearing featured information about health care needs, issues and trends as presented by local and regional experts, including Bakersfield College Dean of Allied Health and Nursing Cindy Collier.
Each fall, with the support of Chevron and Bakersfield College’s Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) grant, students start school early for Week Zero: a six-day orientation which exposes students to problem solving and team work dynamics. Held during the two weeks prior to the start of fall semester, Week Zero is designed for students majoring in science, engineering, and mathematics. During the 2013 Week Zero program, students participated in projects in various subjects, including biology, chemistry, green technology, industrial design with SolidWorks, and leadership training. In addition, break out sessions were offered for engineering statics, interdisciplinary filmmaking, computer integrated manufacturing, microcontrollers, and mathematics. This program, which has been offered for several years, had more than 150 students participating in 2013, and 14 faculty continue to guide the programming.
On Wednesday, April 23rd, 2014, students, faculty, and staff at Bakersfield College gathered to observe “Denim Day,” a campaign originally triggered by a ruling by the Italian Supreme Court where a rape conviction was overturned because the justices felt that since the victim was wearing tight jeans, she must have helped her rapist remove her jeans, thereby implying consent. The following day, the women in the Italian Parliament came to work wearing jeans in solidarity with the victim. Since then, wearing jeans on “Denim Day” has become a symbol of protest against erroneous and destructive attitudes about sexual assault (http://denimdayusa.org/about).
September 12, 2024: A Circle of Friends – Milt and Betty Younger and Jim Young
On Thursday May 1st, 2014, Bakersfield College had the honor of hosting a very special event– a Betty younger sculpture dedication honoring Dr. Jim Young. “Circle of Friends” is an outdoor sculpture located atop a small hill Northeast of the GET Bus terminal on Panorama Drive. The sculpture, which consists of four red upright figures standing together in a circle, was created by Betty Younger to honor her friend JimYoung, who served as Kern Community College District’s chancellor from 1978 to 1999.
David Valadao, Jean Fuller, Andy Vidak, Rudy Salas
Thanks to Cindy Pollard, CEO of the Greater Bakersfield Chamber of Commerce and Michele Bresso, Associate Dean of Instruction, Bakersfield College hosted the second legislative forum on September 26, 2014. We hosted the very first legislative forum last year. I hope the Chamber will continue to bring this event to
2015
March 20, 2015: Design Challenge Gathers Local Students to Test Engineering Smarts
Each Spring semester, the Engineers Club invites middle schoolers, high schoolers, college students and professionals of all ages to participate in their Design ChallenOge in honor of National Engineers’ Week. During the Fall, the Engineers Club members come up with the specific “design challenge” they want to hold in the Spring. They create a set of parameters that the entrants should follow in designing their machine, and send them off to the various schools and businesses by December. Contestants build their machines and bring them on the day of the event.
May 19, 2015: BC’s Second Annual Equity Conference
I am so proud to report that BC held its second equity conference on April 23rd. The day closed with frank presentations from a handful of BC students, all from various walks of life, sharing their personal stories of getting to where they are today and how BC can do better to address their needs.
It was an eye-opening and ultimately very satisfying and encouraging day.
July 22, 2015: BC Choir Reunion Celebrates Historic Victory’s 50th Anniversary
There have been many great events in the past 100-plus years since Bakersfield College first opened its doors. But few elicit the same type of warm memories and deep sense of community pride as one that happened a half-century ago thousands of miles away from our beautiful campus.
Earlier this month, nearly three-dozen surviving members of the 1965 Bakersfield College choir reconvened to remember the good old days and savor the memories of the day they helped put BC on the global map, scoring an underdog win for the ages with a first place showing at the prestigious Llangollen International Musical Eisteddfod in North Wales.
October 5, 2015: Another usual weekend enjoying the Bakersfield Community
I stopped by Wendy’s last evening to pick up a spicy chicken sandwich for dinner and the young woman serving me spontaneously commented that she was a student at BC, psychology major, and that her teachers in all of her classes were the very best. This encounter is not unusual for me or for any of you. BC has stood for excellence and leadership for over a century and this community has steadfastly supported its college for all that time.
November 11, 2015: Veterans Day, Vet Fest and Remembering America’s Best
U.S. armed forces veterans made the conscious decision to step up and serve their nation. And as the nation pauses today to honor Veterans Day, I think it’s important to not only thank veterans for their service, but to thank them for making the decision to do so in the first place. Since we did away with the draft more than 40 years ago, the decision to join the military has been a complex one and a responsibility that no one takes lightly. It’s a choice born of courage that so many of us couldn’t or wouldn’t make.
Soldiers of all branches obliged to honor our country with their service. At BC, we feel a strong sense of obligation and responsibility to serve them with equal vigor when they transition into higher education. We know they’re entering into a new stage in their lives, one that, in its own way, can occasionally seem as confusing and frightening as military service.
To show our ongoing support to military veterans and their families, BC hosted our 3rd annual — and best yet! — BC Vet Fest last week on the Student Services lawn.
We all have our traditions. One of mine is listening to Martin Luther King‘s I have a Dream speech (about 14 minutes long) on Martin Luther King day–this year on Jan 18th.
In Bakersfield there are several events that occur during Martin Luther King Day. More than 350 people poured into Bakersfield’s MLK Community Center Jan. 18th to honor the life and legacy of Dr. King, and further his message. Among those assembled, proud BC Renegades gathered to celebrate with local community leaders, and to offer support in striving for equity and justice.
March 25, 2016: The State of Kern County … is Strong!
Good morning Bakersfield. It is “Good Friday” morning. The start of a three-day weekend leading up to Easter. Easter, this year, falls on March 27th, my dad Paul’s birthday. He passed away 10 years ago so Sunday is going to be an extra special day.
A relatively calm week at BC with students away on Spring Break. Walking the quiet campus yesterday, I enjoyed the grounds and the buildings that were so meticulously planned in the 1950’s when the leadership of the campus and the community decided to bring the 40 year old college from Bakersfield High School to the hill. 1801 Panorama Drive….theHome of the Renegades. A campus carefully planned by visionary leaders 60 years ago.
July 23, 2016: Providing Pathways to teh Future and Buildng a Better BC
Good morning Bakersfield. It is Saturday, July 23rd and I woke up to a wonderful piece by Jeff Evans in The Bakersfield Californian above the fold. Indeed, a wonderful day to be a Renegade.
Here is an fuzzy image of the article taken on my iphone. For the entire web version check out http://tinyurl.com/h2f79wy. There is also a 15-minute video segment of Louis Amestoy interviewing Jeff Evans on the gymnasium and other athletics facilities that are on the BC facilities needs list. Note this is a “needs list” not a “wish list”. I particularly appreciated the comment that these facilities serve all of our students and not just our student athletes.
September 18, 2016: On remembrance, and making memories
Good morning Bakersfield. It is Sunday, September 18th…I started this blog yesterday, but since the day was packed with events that ended with driving to Riverside to watch Renegade football on the road I could not finish my blog. It was great to see the Bakersfield Community come out to support an away game.
Here is a gang of regulars at the games. Sharon Baker and Bill Baker (The Renegade Football doc) come to all the games. It always warms my heart to see both Dr. Baker and Dr. Tivnon out there with our student athletes.
Look who came to visit! Bessie and Neo always have such a good time together.
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This week, we continued our work spreading information about Vision 2030 to the California Community Colleges community.
On Wednesday, we held another in the System Webinar series, “Vision 2030: A Focus on Economic Mobility.”
Thank you to our speakers, Cheryl Aschenbach, Lizette Navarette, Marvin Martinez, and Daisy Gonzales!
The next System Webinar will be October 4th – “Vision 2030: A Focus on Climate Action.”
I enjoyed joining Andra Hoffman, President of the CCC Trustees to do a Vision 2030 presentation to all statewide trustees. The panel that followed the presentation was fantastic and included Nan Gomez-Heitzeberg from Kern, Uduak Joe-Ntuk from Long Beach, and Jonathan Abboud from Santa Barbara.
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This week was a short week with the Labor Day weekend. I was here in Bakersfield and attended an event at Bakersfield College to celebrate Michael Carley from Porterville College, who was the recipient of this year’s Kern CCD Jack Hernandez Phronesis Award. Michael did a fantastic lecture on Humility, Empathy, and Faith.
The Kern CCD TALE Blog also published a post from Michael this week, in conjunction with his award. Check it out!
It was great being back on campus and seeing some of my colleagues from my time as BC President and Kern CCD Chancellor.
Good morning California. It is September 9, 2023. A good day to be a Community College Champion
From California Community Colleges. Our Time is Now!
Golden West College Welcomes First Concurrent Enrollment Nursing Students Earning Bachelor’s Degrees
Golden West College welcomed the its first Nursing Concurrent Enrollment Pathway (CEP) cohort on Saturday, August 26. The CEP program is a historical moment for GWC’s nursing program as the College partners with California State University, San Bernardino to provide nursing students with an accelerated educational pathway to a Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree at an affordable cost.
Merced College, UC Merced to Provide New Housing for Transfer Students
University of California, Merced and Merced College will jointly build a 488-bed student housing project for community college and transfer students. The Promise Housing facility will offer rooms on UC Merced’s campus to income-qualified community college students who have met the academic requirements of the Merced Promise transfer agreement.
This week, Mt. SACPresident Martha Garcia shared shared Vision 2030 with the entire management team, reviewing the 3 goals and 17 strategies charging management to connect all work to the goals of Vision 2030.
El Camino College Receives Grant for Data Science Curriculum
El Camino College was recently awarded a grant to support its data science curriculum. The college began offering a data science class in 2021, with support from the data science education program at the University of California, Berkeley.
EdSource: How English Learners Can Benefit from College Classes in high School
Researchers and advocates say that dual enrollment — taking college courses during high school — can increase rates of graduation, college enrollment and college success. Yet students who are still learning English in high school often face barriers to dual enrollment courses.
The San Francisco Standard: AI Gold Rush – Can Bay Area Classes Help Students Cash In?
The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics estimated that data scientists will be one of the fastest-growing—and highest-paying—occupations in the coming years. There are nearly half a million open jobs in data analytics, paying a median entry-level salary of $92,000, according to Google.
To help fill that demand, at least eight local colleges are participating in a regional joint venture to invest in artificial intelligence and data analytics programming through the Bay Area Community College Consortium.
Celebrating Chancellor Dianne Van Hook & 35 years leading College of the Canyons
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From Andra Hoffman:
That moment when you’re trying to get a selfie with the @CalCommColleges Board of Governor’s President Amy Costa, but you sense a photo-bomber approaching! @markcmacdonald
Shasta College shared this post about yesterday’s 5.0 earthquake near Fall River Mills:
Did you feel the earthquake? We sure did! We even caught it on the seismometer in our Physical Sciences building!
And From the Home of the Renegades
Jaime Gili Lecture and Monte Exhibition
Jaime Gili, a renowned artist known for his unique blend of art and architecture, shared his artistic journey with community members and students of Bakersfield College. Born in Venezuela in 1972, Gili’s passion for art began early, and he honed his skills in London. Over the years, he has become a prominent figure in contemporary art, known for his vibrant colors and architectural elements.
He recently gave a talk ahead of his exhibition hosted at the Wylie and May Louise Jones Gallery from September 7th to October 12th, 2023.
Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away.
I enjoyed seeing Jules last weekend, a sweet, well made movie about how a rural man’s life is turned upside down when a UFO crashes in his backyard and he befriends a mysterious alien. Ben Kingsley plays the 78-year old senior citizen, Milton, who has a routine life which includes taking his civic responsibilities seriously and attending the weekly city council meeting in quiet, cozy Boonton, Pennsylvania. Fellow senior citizens Sandy (Harriet Sansom Harris) and Joyce (Jane Curtin) become co-conspirators with Milton in keeping Jules, the alien, a secret from the rest of the town.
Kingsley is a fave of mine and I really liked his portrayal of Mahatma Gandhi in the 1982 movie Gandhi. He was born in England to a British mother and an Indian father of Gujarati descent.
I have always enjoyed Jane Curtain’s deadpan expression when delivering funny lines in Saturday Night Live…. also enjoyed both John Lithgow and Jane Curtain in 3rd Rock From The Sun.
Check out the trailer:
Talking about spaceships … India successfully landed a spacecraft on the moon’s surface. India is now the fourth country to land on the moon – and the first to land on the south pole.
Chandrayaan-3’s lunar rover Pragyan is now spending 2 weeks roaming around an area of the moon’s surface that has never before been explored.
Scientists think that there could be substantial quantities of water ice in the rocks of the polar craters, which are permanently in shadow. If this water can be extracted, it could lower costs of future human moon exploration, or be split into hydrogen and oxygen to make fuel for rockets.
Good morning California. It is August 26, 2023. A good day to be a Community College Champion
From California Community Colleges. Our Time is Now!
College of San Mateo Dual Enrollment Team Hosts Summer Experience
Earlier this month, the College of San MateoDual Enrollment team hosted a 2-day summer experience, “Strategies for Successful Teaching in Dual Enrollment” for the college’s new and returning faculty who will be teaching dual enrollment courses in the new academic year.
Oxnard College Receives $100,000 Grant from Metallica’s All Within My Hands’ Scholars Initiative
Oxnard College has been selected to receive a $100,000 grant from the Grammy Award-winning band Metallica and its foundation, All Within My Hands. The award will support students in the college’s Culinary Arts, Dental Hygiene and Fire Academy programs as the band continues its multimillion-dollar investment in critical workforce programs at community colleges nationwide.
Ohlone College students join Tesla program for bright future
Ohlone College announces that 55 students joined the esteemed Tesla Manufacturing Development Program (MDP), paving the way toward a career in a high-tech, high-demand, high-paying industry.
Public Policy Institute of California: Improving College Access and Success through Dual Enrollment
The PPIC recently published a report about how College and Career Access Pathways Programs can improve access to higher education, as well as success for those students.
Students gain an array of benefits from participating in dual enrollment in both high school and college: participation is associated with higher high school completion, college readiness, attendance, retention, and academic achievement (Berger et al. 2014; Edmunds et. al 2015). Dual enrollment students also enroll in college at higher rates and accumulate more credits, earn higher GPAs, and attain overall higher achievement in college (Allen and Dadgar 2012; An 2013; CLP and KCCD 2022; Giani et al. 2014; Struhl and Vargas 2012; Fink, Jenkins, and Yanagiura 2017; Ryu et al. 2023).
LA Times: A big remake is coming to California community college education, new chancellor says
Recently, I spoke with LA Times reporter Debbie Truong about some of my goals for the California Community Colleges.
“The fundamental principle of Vision 2030 is the idea of taking college to the future learner. One is definitely dual enrollment. We have 436,000 eighth graders going into the ninth grade. What if, in the ninth grade, the default schedule was for those students to have at least a one college credit class — bringing college to them so they can start seeing what college is about. Twelve credits is a specific goal by the time they finish their four years of high school.”
LA Times De Los: What former first-gen students wish they knew about college
I saw a piece in LA Times’ De Los publication about former first-gen students, including Audrey Dow – senior vice president at the Campaign for College Oportunity.
“I was this 18-year-old Chicana from East L.A. talking to this white professor, and he’s like, ‘My suggestion is you drop out.’ And I said, ‘Drop out of your course?’ And he said, ‘Drop out of Brown.’”
Compton College shared this student success story:
“At Compton College, Every Student is a Success Story! Congratulations to Kaitlyn Gomez who graduated from Compton Early High School in 2023, earning both a high school diploma and an associate degree from Compton College. She is headed to UC San Diego this fall to major in astrophysics. Through our partnership with Compton Unified School District dual enrolled high school students can earn both a diploma and a degree simultaneously – saving time and money in completing their higher education!“
In the latest post from the Kern CCD TALE Blog, Robert Simpkins discusses his family’s trip to the Walt Disney Studio Lot in Burbank.
The historical marker outside Gelson’s Market on Hyperion Avenue in Los Feliz, marking the former location of the Walt Disney Animation Studio from 1926 to 1940. [Photo by Robert Simpkins]
Although the studio on Hyperion Avenue no longer exists (a Gelson’s market now stands in its place, but inside are photos of the studio), standing at its former site helped me feel the presence of all those early artists working together and wonder what impact they had on each other, as they each evolved creatively while working collaboratively.
I also wondered what the equivalent experience could be in my own field of education, and how to bring together educators of different backgrounds, experiences, and perspectives into a place where we could learn from each other, be inspired by each other, and seek to improve ourselves with each other’s support.
Students from the Citrus College Cosmetology program recently provided free haircuts to local elementary & middle school students to kick off the new school year with confidence & excitement. Thanks to @sierrasubaru for hosting the back-to-school event!
And From the Home of the Renegades
BC Welcomes Students Back to School for Fall 2023
The first week of the fall semester was a success for new and returning students at Bakersfield College. All students had the opportunity to get involved in events and find community on campus
The Workforce & Economic Mobility Blog blog shares approaches to workforce and economic development, with a goal of supporting economic mobility for our community while staying committed to the health of our people and the health of our environment.
In the Bhambi & Christian blog, Dr. Brijesh Bhambi join together joined together with the goal of facilitating healing and conversation in our community.
